First Time in Umbria - Need Advice

I am in Assisi every July for 2 weeks for a music festival. This will be year 15. During the day, pretty much 10am - 4pm there are a lot of tourists in town. Mostly down by the Basilica San Francesco. Because of parking issues, the buses load and unload down in that area. You have pretty much the rest of the town (up the mountain) to yourself. A few groups will walk through, shoppers will come up from the Basilica but for the most part the area around and above Piazza Comune is comfortable. If looking for an apartment be sure to check for "stairs" - you're on the side of a mountain and roads/stairs are steep. This area is a dream come true in the evening. The piazza is a wonderful place to sit and relax. The bars and cafes are friendly. The atmosphere takes you back 900 years if you look in one direction and 2000 if you look in the other. Sometimes groups of teenagers will be there to entertain you - they're on retreat. They sing, dance, play their instruments and just make for a pleasant addition to being in Assisi. The city is completely safe. Walk around as much as you like - somehow you'll end up back where you want to be! The views, at night and day, are powerful and plentiful. The art in the churches is breathtaking. The train station is down the mountain. Buses and taxis will get you there for day trips. I think Assisi could be a good home base for your time in Umbria.

Thank you Robert for your thoughtful (and quick) response. We will be out and about ourselves during the day so the crowds should not be a problem if they disperse in the evening. We are two women (not a couple), so we are looking for a town that also has a bit of a a night life where people are outside enjoying a summer evening.

Orvieto might be an option for you too

2 women? out and about in the evening? I still say, and more emphatically, Assisi and especially on the Piazza Comune level. From the piazza and up to San Rufino there are plenty of 'night life' spots. We are 50 musicians and opera singers - trust me, we know how to find the fun night life! Assisi is a place that makes my heart smile during the day when I get a chance to church-crawl and in the evening when we just need to celebrate the days rehearsals and concerts. Check out restaurants that have views from their terrace - it means eating late but oh my, the views of the valley and the Basilica when the lights come on! Enjoy Assisi on many levels, the spiritual, the cultural (goes back 2700 years to the Etruscans, the historical medieval and Roman but most of all the people. Hint on shopping: don't pick anything up without asking 'may I?' A lot of times the salesperson (possibly the owner) will hold it up for you. Do NOT misinterpret this gesture, it shows a sense of pride in what they have to offer. And always that hello and thank you. The people in Assisi are by nature polite and respond to politeness. Sorry, I've seen tourists go so far out of bounds. You know the type: HOW MUCH-O IS THIS-O? When the lady left without buying anything and not putting the things back where they came from; the owner, who speaks wonderful English, and I just had to laugh. Oh, after 15 years do I have stories!

You'd be hard pressed to find any place as attractive as Assisi at sunset, it's simply gorgeous. I never stayed in Assisi but spent some time there way into the evening on two occasions. As you will be out and about during the day, most of the plebs will have disappeared by the evening. If you hike a little, you can make a whole day of it just in town, up into the hills, as well as spending time in the places you mentioned. Orvieto is also an attractive destination but,with only four full days, the east side of Umbria will keep you occupied. I'll throw Norcia and Gubbio into the mix, I never made it to Spoleto or Perugia. I always drive so cannot help with public transportation advice.

As an aside, it's a pity slowtravel.com and Virtual Tourist are no longer around. I never subscribed to either but found them both very valuable many years ago, even though the former was occasionally reduced to cliquey yenta-type talk.

Norcia? This area was fairly destroyed by the earthquake a couple of years ago. Norcia is the hometown of St. Benedict. There is a Benedictine monastery there - many of the monks are from the States. They make/sell beer as a way of rebuilding the monastery. If you are so inclined I'm sure the monks would welcome a visit, a purchase and a donation to the town's rebuilding. Our festival takes donations for the cause in the past at our performances in Assisi. Next year we are going there to do a benefit concert. I think in a town like Norcia and Amatriciana (home of that pasta sauce recipe) you'll discover the core of the Umbrian people.

Whoa, yes, sorry Robert, the Norcia earthquakes completely slipped my mind. We visited for our 20th in 2007.

Thanks guys! I wound up booking an apartment today. It is close to Piazza del Comune but not on the piazza. I chose it for the beautiful views, not the interior which is fairly small and basic. I could find places with lovely interiors but no views for the same price. So, I decided to go for the place with the views and it has two terraces! Anyway, thanks so much for your input. I am very excited about visiting Umbria and especially Assisi for the first time.